Return to Graceland

I never understood the greatness of Elvis, The King, even after I moved to Memphis. For most of my life, my admiration of musical geniuses went to Michael Jackson and the Beatles. MJ was king of pop, a fan of magic and a hot dancer. The Beatles could do whatever they wanted and it was magic. But then there was Graceland…

Yes it’s true, I have toured the park three times and I can’t get enough. Thankfully, Graceland is in the works of expansion and I CAN NOT WAIT. So what happened? Well, I visited the park and saw a book dubbed Last Train to Memphis of which I purchased and read right away. I instantly fell in love with the man people called “The King”. When summer time came, there came another visit to the park.

I will admit, in current times, when I see the Machine Shop I think of Elvis working on cars. When I walk by Lansky’s, I think of the slick jacket he attired himself in. When I drive by Sun Studio, I envision young Elvis singing “That’s Alright” to Sam Phillips for the very first time. I look forward to visiting the park again. Truth is, I can get enough of those jumpsuits.

Have I had a crush on Michael Jackson or Elvis?… no… but there certainly is a hunk of burning love I can’t explain for the both of them.

MTH 101:

Memphis Type History is a project by Caitlin Horton and Rebecca Phillips. We collect your stories and search out the rumor and lore behind Memphis' greatest signs and best historical places. This is Memphis as Memphians know it.